U.S. patent number 9,330,970 [Application Number 14/267,592] was granted by the patent office on 2016-05-03 for structure and method for high performance interconnect.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.. The grantee listed for this patent is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Ting-Chu Ko, Clement Hsingjen Wann.
United States Patent |
9,330,970 |
Wann , et al. |
May 3, 2016 |
Structure and method for high performance interconnect
Abstract
The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit structure.
The integrated circuit structure includes a substrate having an IC
device formed therein; a first dielectric material layer disposed
on the substrate and having a first trench formed therein; and a
first composite interconnect feature disposed in the first trench
and electrically coupled with the IC device. The first composite
interconnect feature includes a first barrier layer disposed on
sidewalls of the first trench; a first metal layer disposed on the
first barrier layer; and a first graphene layer disposed on the
metal layer.
Inventors: |
Wann; Clement Hsingjen (Carmel,
NY), Ko; Ting-Chu (Hsinchu, TW) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. |
Hsin-Chu |
N/A |
TW |
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Assignee: |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Company, Ltd. (Hsin-Chu, TW)
|
Family
ID: |
47482950 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/267,592 |
Filed: |
May 1, 2014 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20140235051 A1 |
Aug 21, 2014 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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13182368 |
Jul 13, 2011 |
8716863 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L
21/76847 (20130101); H01L 21/76877 (20130101); H01L
21/76843 (20130101); H01L 23/53276 (20130101); H01L
21/28556 (20130101); H01L 21/2855 (20130101); H01L
21/76844 (20130101); H01L 2924/0002 (20130101); H01L
2221/1094 (20130101); H01L 2924/0002 (20130101); H01L
2924/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01L
21/4763 (20060101); H01L 23/532 (20060101); H01L
21/44 (20060101); H01L 21/768 (20060101); H01L
21/285 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;257/750,760,774
;438/627,643,653 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Yang Chai et al., Reliability Evaluation of Carbon Nanotube
Interconnect in a Silicon CMOS Environment, International
Conference on Electronic Materials and Packaging, 2006, pp. 1-5.
cited by applicant .
Yang Chai et al., "Carbon Nanotube/Copper Composites for Via Filing
and Thermal Management", 57.sup.th Electronic Components and
Technology Conference, 2007, pp. 1224-1229. cited by applicant
.
Yang Chai et al., "High Electromigration-Resistant Copper/Carbon
Nanotube Composite for Interconnect Application", IEDM 2008, pp.
1-4. cited by applicant .
Yang Chai et al., "Copper/Carbon Nanotube Composite Interconnect
for Enhanced Electromigration Resistance", 58.sup.th Electronic
Components and Technology, pp. 412-420. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Armand; Marc
Assistant Examiner: Baptiste; Wilner Jean
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Haynes and Boone, LLP
Parent Case Text
PRIORITY DATA
This application is a divisional application of U.S. application
Ser. No. 13/182,368, filed Jul. 13, 2011, which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method, comprising: forming a first dielectric material layer
on a substrate having an integrated circuit (IC) device formed
therein; etching the first dielectric material layer to form a
first trench aligned with a conductive feature of the IC device;
forming a barrier layer in the first trench; removing a portion of
the barrier layer in the first trench to expose the conductive
feature of the IC device; forming a first metal layer within the
first trench directly on the exposed conductive feature of the IC
device such that the first metal layer physically contacts the
exposed conductive feature, wherein the first metal layer includes
a first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall hieing the first
sidewall, wherein a recess extends from the first sidewall to the
second sidewall; and forming a first graphene layer within the
first trench and adjacent the first metal layer such that the first
graphene layer fills the recess extending from the first sidewall
of the first metal layer to the second sidewall of the first metal
layer.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a first etch
stop layer on the substrate before forming a first dielectric
material layer, wherein etching the first dielectric material layer
includes: forming an etch mask layer having an opening defining a
region for the first trench; performing a first etching step to
etch the first dielectric material layer within the opening of the
etch mask layer; and performing a second etching step to etch the
first etch stop first layer within the opening of the etch mask
layer.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second metal
layer within the first trench; and forming a second graphene layer
within the first trench and adjacent the second metal layer such
that the second graphene layer extends continuously from the second
metal layer to the first metal layer.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a chemical
mechanical polishing (CMP) process to remove the barrier layer, the
first metal layer and the first graphene layer on the first
dielectric material layer.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second
dielectric material layer on the first dielectric material layer;
etching the second dielectric material layer to form a second
trench aligned with the first trench such that the second trench at
least partially lands on the first trench; forming another barrier
layer in the second trench and adjacent sidewalls of the second
trench; forming an carbon nanotube (CNT) in the second trench and
substantially oriented along a direction perpendicular to the
substrate; and thereafter forming copper in the second trench such
that the copper fills in gaps between the CNT and the another
barrier layer.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a first metal layer
includes forming a copper layer by chemical vapor deposition; and
the forming a first graphene layer includes forming the first
graphene layer by CVD.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the forming a first metal layer
and the forming a first graphene layer includes forming the first
metal layer and the first graphene layer in a same CVD tool.
8. A method comprising: forming a first dielectric material layer
over a substrate, wherein the substrate includes a conductive
feature; forming a first trench within the first dielectric
material layer; forming a first barrier layer within the first
trench; removing a portion of the first barrier layer in the first
trench to expose the conductive feature; forming a carbon nanotube
in the first trench directly on the exposed conductive feature such
that the carbon nanotube physically contacts the conductive feature
in the substrate; and forming a first conductive material in the
first trench such that the carbon nanotube is embedded in the first
conductive material.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: forming a second
dielectric material layer over the first dielectric material layer;
forming a second trench within the second dielectric material
layer; forming a second barrier layer within the second trench;
forming a second conductive material in the second trench; and
forming a graphene material in the second trench.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second trench is
communication with the first trench.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second barrier layer
physically contacts at least one the carbon nanotube and the first
conductive material within the first trench.
12. The method of claim 8, further comprising forming a etch stop
layer over the substrate prior to forming the first dielectric
material layer over the substrate.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the first trench within
the first dielectric material layer includes forming the first
trench through the etch stop layer.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein the second conductive material
physically contacts the graphene material in the second trench, and
wherein at least one of the second conductive material and the
graphene material physically contacts the second barrier layer.
15. A method comprising: forming a conductive feature in a
substrate; forming a first dielectric material layer over the
substrate; forming a first trench within the first dielectric
material layer; forming a first barrier layer in the first trench;
removing a portion of the first barrier layer in the first trench
to expose the conductive feature; forming a second dielectric
material layer over the first dielectric material layer; forming a
second trench within the second dielectric material layer; forming
a carbon nanotube in the first trench directly on the exposed
conductive feature such that the carbon nanotube physically
contacts the exposed conductive feature; forming a first conductive
material that surrounds the carbon nanotube in the first trench;
forming a second conductive material in the second trench, wherein
the second conductive material has a first sidewall and an opposing
second sidewall facing the first sidewall, wherein a recess extends
from the first sidewall to the second sidewall; and forming a
graphene material in the second trench such that the graphene
material fills the recess extending from the first sidewall of the
second conductive material to the second sidewall of the second
conductive material.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the conductive feature is a
gate electrode.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the conductive feature is a
silicide feature.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a second
barrier layer in the second trench prior to forming the second
conductive material in the second trench.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first conductive material
includes at least one of copper and tungsten.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the first conductive
material that surrounds the carbon nanotube in the first trench
includes forming the first conductive material directly on the
conductive feature such that the first conductive material
physically contacts the conductive feature.
Description
BACKGROUND
In semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit pattern can be
formed on a substrate using various processes including a
photolithography process, ion implantation, deposition and etch.
Damascene processes are utilized to form multilayer copper
interconnections including vertical interconnection vias and
horizontal interconnection metal lines. During a damascene process,
trenches are formed in a dielectric material layer, copper or
tungsten is filled in the trenches, then a chemical mechanical
polishing (CMP) process is applied to remove excessive metal on the
dielectric material layer and planarize the top surface.
As the integrated circuit (IC) fabrication moves to advanced
technology nodes, the IC feature size scales down to smaller
dimensions. For example, the trench dimensions get smaller and
smaller. Accordingly, the gap-filling ability of those metallic
materials is limited and the gap-filling quality and reliability
are challenged. Further, the corresponding conductivity of the
gap-filling metal is needed to be higher for desired performance of
the interconnect structure. Thus, the interconnect material is a
bottle neck for further improving the interconnect structure with
required performance and reliability. Accordingly, a structure of
interconnect structure and a method making the same are needed to
address the above issues.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the
following detailed description when read with the accompanying
figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard
practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale.
In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily
increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of a semiconductor structure
having an interconnect structure constructed according to various
aspects of the present disclosure in one or more embodiments.
FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view of one interconnect feature of
the semiconductor structure of FIG. 1 constructed according to
various aspects of the present disclosure in one or more
embodiments.
FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of another interconnect feature
of the semiconductor structure of FIG. 1 constructed according to
various aspects of the present disclosure in one or more
embodiments.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate sectional views of an exemplary
semiconductor structure during various fabrication stages
constructed according to various aspects of the present disclosure
in one or more embodiments.
FIGS. 6 through 9 illustrate sectional views of an exemplary
semiconductor structure during various fabrication stages
constructed according to various aspects of the present disclosure
in other embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many
different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different
features of the invention. Specific examples of components and
arrangements are described below to simplify the present
disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not
intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may
repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples.
This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and
does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various
embodiments and/or configurations discussed. Moreover, the
formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the
description that follows may include embodiments in which the first
and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also
include embodiments in which additional features may be formed
interposing the first and second features, such that the first and
second features may not be in direct contact.
FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of a semiconductor structure
(or an integrated circuit structure) 50 having an interconnect
structure constructed according to various aspects of the present
disclosure in one or more embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates a
sectional view of one interconnect feature of the semiconductor
structure 50 constructed according to various aspects of the
present disclosure. FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of another
interconnect feature of the semiconductor structure 50 constructed
according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The
semiconductor structure 50 is described below with reference to
FIGS. 1 through 3.
Referring to FIG. 1, the semiconductor structure 50 includes a
substrate 52. The substrate 52 includes silicon substrate.
Alternatively, the substrate 52 may include other elementary
semiconductor such as germanium. The substrate 52 may also include
a compound semiconductor such as silicon carbide, gallium arsenic,
indium arsenide, and indium phosphide. The substrate 52 may include
an alloy semiconductor such as silicon germanium, silicon germanium
carbide, gallium arsenic phosphide, and gallium indium phosphide.
In one embodiment, the substrate 52 includes an epitaxial layer.
For example, the substrate may have an epitaxial layer overlying a
bulk semiconductor. Furthermore, the substrate 52 may include a
semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure. For example, the
substrate may include a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed by a
process such as separation by implanted oxygen (SIMOX) or other
suitable technique, such as wafer bonding and grinding. The
substrate 52 also includes various p-type doped regions and/or
n-type doped regions, implemented by a process such as ion
implantation and/or diffusion. Those doped regions include n-well,
p-well, light doped region (LDD), heavily doped source and drain
(S/D), and various channel doping profiles configured to form
various integrated circuit (IC) devices, such as a complimentary
metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (CMOSFET),
imaging sensor, and/or light emitting diode (LED). The substrate 52
may further include other functional features such as a resistor or
a capacitor formed in and on the substrate. The substrate 52
further includes lateral isolation features provided to separate
various devices formed in the substrate 52. In one embodiment,
shallow trench isolation (STI) features are used for lateral
isolation. The various devices further include silicide disposed on
S/D, gate and other device features for reduced contact resistance
when coupled to the output and input signals.
The semiconductor structure 50 also includes a plurality of
patterned dielectric layers and patterned conductive features
integrated to form an interconnect structure configured to couple
the various p-type and n-type doped regions and the other
functional features (such as gate electrodes), resulting a
functional integrated circuit. In one example, the substrate 52 may
include a portion of the interconnect structure and is collectively
referred to as the substrate 52. The interconnect structure is
further described later.
An exemplary conductive feature 54 is shown in FIG. 1 for
illustration. In one embodiment, the conductive feature 54 is a
source, drain or gate electrode. Alternatively, the conductive
feature 54 is a silicide feature disposed on source, drain or gate
electrode. The silicide feature may be formed by a self-aligned
silicide (salicide) technique. In another embodiment, the
conductive feature 54 includes an electrode of a capacitor or one
end of a resistor. In yet another embodiment where the substrate 52
is a portion of the interconnect structure, the conductive feature
54 includes a contact, a metal via, or a metal line.
As noted above, the semiconductor structure 50 includes an
interconnect structure. The interconnect structure includes a
multi-layer interconnect (MLI) structure and an inter-level
dielectric (ILD) integrated with the MLI structure, providing an
electrical routing to couple various devices in the substrate 52 to
the input/output power and signals. The interconnect structure
includes various metal lines, contacts and metal vias. The metal
lines provide horizontal electrical routing. The contacts provide
vertical connection between silicon substrate and metal lines while
vias provide vertical connection between metal lines in different
metal layers.
In the present embodiment, the semiconductor structure 50 includes
a first interconnect layer 56 and a second interconnect layer 58,
as shown in FIG. 1. The first interconnect layer 56 includes a
first dielectric material layer 60 disposed on the substrate 52.
The first dielectric material layer 60 includes silicon oxide, a
low dielectric constant (low-k) material, other suitable dielectric
material, or a combination thereof. The low-k material may include
fluorinated silica glass (FSG), carbon doped silicon oxide, Black
Diamond.RTM. (Applied Materials of Santa Clara, Calif.), Xerogel,
Aerogel, amorphous fluorinated carbon, Parylene, BCB
(bis-benzocyclobutenes), SiLK (Dow Chemical, Midland, Mich.),
polyimide, and/or other future developed low-k dielectric
materials. A process to form the first dielectric material layer 60
may utilize chemical vapor deposition (CVD), spin-on coating, or
other suitable technique.
An etch stop layer 62 may be additionally disposed between the
substrate 52 and the first dielectric material layer 60. The etch
stop layer 62 includes a dielectric material having an etch
resistance significantly higher than the etch resistance of the
first dielectric material layer 60 during an etch process to
pattern the first dielectric material layer 60. In one example, the
etch stop layer 62 includes silicon nitride, silicon carbide or
other suitable material.
A first conductive feature 64 is embedded in the first dielectric
material layer 60 and may be further embedded in the etch stop
layer 62 if the etch stop layer 62 is present. The first conductive
feature 64 is aligned with and is landing on the conductive feature
54. Particularly, the first conductive feature 64 contacts the
conductive feature 54, providing an electrical path. In one
embodiment, the first conductive feature 64 is a metal via between
two neighbor metal layers or a contact between a metal layer and
silicon substrate. In another embodiment, the first conductive
feature 64 is formed by patterning the first dielectric material
layer 60 to form a first trench, filling various conductive
materials in the first trench, and performing a chemical mechanical
polishing (CMP) process to remove various conductive materials on
the first dielectric material layer 60. In one example, patterning
the first dielectric material layer 60 includes a lithography
process and an etching process. The lithography process forms a
patterned photoresist layer having an opening that defines a region
for the first trench. The etching process may include two etch
steps to respectively remove the first dielectric material layer 60
and the etch stop layer 62 within the opening of the patterned
photoresist layer. The patterned photoresist layer is removed by
wet stripping or plasma ashing after the etching. Alternatively, a
hard mask layer may be used as an etch mask in the process to form
the first trench.
The first conductive feature 64 is further described with reference
to FIG. 2 as a sectional view. The first conductive feature 64
includes a barrier layer 72 disposed on sidewalls of the first
trench. The barrier layer 72 provides an effective prevention from
metal diffusion into the first dielectric material layer 60. In one
example, the barrier layer 72 includes tantalum nitride (TaN) and
or tantalum (Ta). In other examples, the barrier layer 72 may
include other suitable material, such as titanium nitride (TiN).
The barrier layer 72 may be formed by physical vapor deposition
(PVD) or other suitable technique. In another embodiment, the
barrier layer 72 may be patterned such that the portion deposited
on the bottom surface of the first trench is removed.
The first conductive feature 64 includes one or more carbon
nanotubes (CNTs) disposed in the first trench. In the present
embodiment, the CNTs are substantially oriented along a direction
perpendicular to the substrate 52 (along the trench depth direction
in other words). The CNTs start growing from the conductive feature
54 and end at the top surface of the first dielectric material
layer 60. In one example, CNTs are randomly formed on the
conductive feature 54. In present embodiment, the CNTs are formed
by CVD. In other embodiments, the CNTs are formed by or other
suitable technique, such as arc discharge, laser ablation, or high
pressure carbon monoxide (HiPco). In various examples, CNTs 74
include single walled CNTs and/or multi-walled CNTs. In other
examples, CNTs 74 may be semiconductor type CNTs or metallic type
CNTs.
Then a metal material 76 is filled into gaps among the CNTs such
that the first trench is filled and the CNTs 74 are embedded in the
metal material 76. In one embodiment, the metal material 76
includes copper (Cu). In another embodiment, the metal material 76
includes tungsten (W). The metal material may include other
suitable metal. The metal material 76 may be deposited by CVD using
a CVD tool, such as Centura of Applied Materials.
In one embodiment of a CVD process to form the metal material 76
that contains copper, the corresponding precursor includes
Cu-hexafluoroacetylacetonate (hfac) and trimethylvinylsilane
(TMVS). During the CVD process, the substrate temperature ranges
between about 100 C and about 550 C according to one example. The
pressure in the corresponding CVD chamber ranges between about 1
mTorr and about 1500 mTorr in another example. The carrier gas may
include hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), or combinations
thereof.
In another embodiment of a CVD process to form the metal material
76 that contains copper, the precursor includes copper
acetylacetonate (or Cu(acac)2). During the CVD process, the
substrate temperature ranges between about 100 C and about 550 C in
one example. The pressure in the corresponding CVD chamber ranges
between about 1 mTorr and about 1500 mTorr in another example. In
yet another example, the carrier gas includes H2, Ar, or
combinations thereof.
In yet another embodiment of a CVD process to form the metal
material 76 that contains copper, the precursor includes copper
dipivaloylmethanate (or Cu-(dpm)2). During the CVD process, the
substrate temperature ranges between about 100 C and about 550 C in
one example. The pressure in the corresponding CVD chamber ranges
between about 1 mTorr and about 1500 mTorr in another example. No
carrier gas is used.
In yet another embodiment of a CVD process to form the metal
material 76 that contains copper, the precursor includes
Cu-(nona-F)2. During the CVD process, the substrate temperature
ranges between about 100 C and about 550 C in one example. The
pressure in the corresponding CVD chamber ranges between about 1
mTorr and about 1500 mTorr in another example. The carrier gas may
include H2.
Other suitable technique, such as PVD or E-gun, may be
alternatively implemented to deposit the metal material 76. In one
embodiment, PVD is used to deposit the metal material 76 that
contains copper. Applied Materials PVD tool Endura may be used to
deposit copper using a copper target. Provided below are various
parameters of the PVD process to deposit copper, according to
various examples. The sputtering power ranges between about 10 kW
and about 100 kW. The sputtering duration ranges between about 20
seconds and about 120 seconds. The sputtering temperature ranges
between room temperature and about 50 C. The sputtering bias power
ranges between 0 and about 1200 W. The electron magnet power ranges
between 0 and about 50 Amps. The carrier gas includes argon. The
PVD chamber pressure ranges between about 1 mTorr and about 100
mTorr.
In another embodiment, E-gun technique is used to deposit copper.
Provided below are various features parameters of the E-gun process
to deposit copper, according to various examples. A tungsten
crucible is used to hold copper source. A current is applied
between two electrodes of the crucible to heat the copper source to
a temperature greater than about 1100 C. The work piece (e.g., the
semiconductor structure 50) is held on top of crucible. Thus, the
copper source is evaporated and deposited on the work piece.
In the present embodiment, both the CNTs 74 and the metal material
76 are formed by CVD using a same CVD tool to reduce manufacturing
cycle time. For example, Applied Materials CVD tool Centura is used
to form the CNTs 74 and the metal material 76. Thereafter, a CMP
process may be additionally applied to remove metal material on the
first dielectric material and to remove excessive CNTs above the
top surface of the first dielectric material layer. Particularly,
the density of CNTs 74 is controlled to a level by process such
that there are enough gaps among the CNTs and the metal material
can be effectively filled in. Due to material characteristics, the
combination of the metal material and CNTs enhances the gap filling
capability, especially for trenches with high aspect ratios.
Referring back FIG. 1, the second interconnect layer 58 includes a
second dielectric material layer 66 disposed on the first
dielectric material layer 60. The second dielectric material layer
66 includes silicon oxide, a low dielectric constant (low-k)
material, other suitable dielectric material or a combination
thereof. In the present embodiment, the second dielectric material
layer 66 is similar to the first dielectric material layer 60 in
terms of composition and formation. For example, the second
dielectric material layer 66 is formed by chemical vapor deposition
(CVD), spin-on coating, or other suitable technique.
An etch stop layer 68 may be additionally disposed between the
second dielectric material layer 66 and the first dielectric
material layer 60. The etch stop layer 68 includes a dielectric
material having an etch resistance significantly higher than the
etch resistance of the second dielectric material layer 66 during
an etch process to pattern the second dielectric material layer 66.
In one embodiment, the etch stop layer 68 is similar to the etch
stop layer 60 in terms of composition and formation. For example,
the etch stop layer 68 includes silicon nitride, silicon carbide or
other suitable material.
A second conductive feature 70 is embedded in the second dielectric
material layer 66 and may be further embedded in the etch stop
layer 68 if the etch stop layer 68 is present. The second
conductive feature 70 is aligned with and is landing on the first
conductive feature 64. Particularly, the second conductive feature
70 contacts the first conductive feature 64, providing an
electrical path. In one embodiment, the second conductive feature
70 is a metal line. In another embodiment, the second conductive
feature 70 is formed by patterning the second dielectric material
layer 66 to form a second trench, filling in various conductive
materials in the second trench, and performing a chemical
mechanical polishing (CMP) process to remove the conductive
materials on the second dielectric material layer 66. In one
example, patterning the second dielectric material layer 66
includes a lithography process and an etching process. The
lithography process forms a patterned photoresist layer having an
opening that defines a region for the second trench. The etching
process may include two etch steps to respectively remove the
second dielectric material layer 66 and the etch stop layer 68
within the opening of the patterned photoresist layer. The
patterned photoresist layer is removed after the etching
process.
The second conductive feature 70 is further described with
reference to FIG. 3 as a sectional view. The second conductive
feature 70 includes a barrier layer 78 disposed on bottom surface
and sidewalls of the second trench for prevention metal diffusion
into the second dielectric material layer 66. In the present
embodiment, the barrier layer 78 is similar to the barrier layer 72
in term of composition and formation. In one example, the barrier
layer 78 includes TaN and/or Ta. In other examples, the barrier
layer 78 may include other suitable material, such as TiN. The
barrier layer 78 may be formed by PVD or other suitable
technique.
The second conductive feature 70 includes metal material 80 and
graphene 82 integrated in a multilayer structure. Graphene is a two
dimensional (2D) carbon structure. Graphene is one atom thick
planar sheet of carbon atoms densely packed in a honeycomb crystal
lattice (or simply referred to as graphene sheet).
In the present embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the second
conductive feature 70 includes a plurality of metal layers
(collectively labeled as 80) and a plurality of graphene layers
(collectively labeled as 82) configured such that each graphene
layer is interposed between the two neighbor metal layers. In the
present embodiment, the first metal layer 80 is the outmost layer
contacting the barrier layer 78. In an alternative embodiment, the
first graphene layer 82 is the outmost layer contacting the barrier
layer 78.
In one embodiment, the graphene layers 82 are formed by CVD. In one
example, the precursor includes methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2).
During the CVD process, the gas flow and the substrate temperature
are designed such that graphene can be efficiently grown on copper
with better material integration. The CVD process may include
multiple steps. In the present embodiment, the CVD process includes
four steps. The step 1 only uses H2 gas and heats the substrate to
a target deposition temperature with a first duration; the step 2
uses H2 gas and maintains the substrate at the target deposition
temperature for a second duration; the step 3 uses H2 and CH4 for
graphene deposition at the target deposition temperature. The gas
CH4 and H2 are maintained with a gas flow ratio CH4/H2 grater than
one; and step 4 the substrate is cooled down. During maintaining
the substrate at the target deposition temperature at step 2 and
deposition at step 3, the CVD deposition chamber is maintained at a
pressure ranging between about 1 Torr and about 4 Torr. The target
deposition temperature ranges between about 400 C and about 1000
C.
In one embodiment, the metal layers 80 include copper, tungsten or
other suitable metal. In another embodiment, the metal layers 80
are deposited by CVD. Other suitable technique, such as PVD or
E-gun, may be alternatively implemented to deposit the metal layers
80. The metal layer 80 that contains copper may be formed by one of
the methods to form the metal material 76 described above in
various embodiments.
The metal layers 80 and graphene layers 82 in multilayer structure
fill in the second trench lined by the barrier layer 78. In the
present embodiment, both the metal layers 80 and the graphene
layers 82 are formed by CVD using a same CVD tool to reduce
manufacturing cycle time, especially considering multiple the metal
layers 80 and the graphene layers 82 to be formed. For example,
Applied Materials Centura is used to respectively form the graphene
layers 82 and the metal layers 80. Thereafter, a CMP process may be
additionally applied to remove metal layers and the graphene layers
disposed on the second dielectric material layer 66.
In one embodiment, each graphene layer includes one graphene sheet.
Each graphene layer 82 includes a bottom portion and a sidewall
portion. In another embodiment, each metal layer 80 has a
respective thickness different from those of other metal layers 80.
Particularly, a metal layer 80 is thinner when getting closer to
the center of the second trench. In one procedure to form the
second conductive feature 70, the barrier layer 78 is first
deposited in the second trench, then a first metal layer 80 is
deposited on the barrier layer 78, then a first graphene layer 82
is deposited on the first metal layer, then a second metal, and
then a second graphene layer, and so on until the second trench is
substantially filled thereby. In one example, the last layer is a
metal layer 80. Due to the material interaction, the combination of
the metal layers 80 and graphene layers 82 enhances the gap filling
capability, especially for trenches with high aspect ratios.
In an alternative embodiment, the outmost layer adjacent the
barrier layer 78 is a graphene layer 82. In this case, an
interfacial material layer is disposed between the graphene layer
and the barrier layer for better material integration. In one
example, the interfacial material layer includes ruthenium
(Ru).
Although the semiconductor structure 50 and the method of making
the same are collectively described above, other embodiments or
alternatives may be used. In one alternative embodiment, the first
conductive feature 64 in the first interconnect layer 56 includes
the CNTs 74 embedded in the metal layer 76 that contains copper,
and the second conductive feature 70 in the second interconnect
layer 58 also includes a structure similar to the first conductive
feature 64. Particularly, the second conductive feature 70 includes
CNTs in the second trench, oriented in the trench depth direction,
and embedded in a copper metal layer. In furtherance of the
embodiment, the first conductive feature 64 is via and the second
conductive feature 70 is a metal line.
Further in this embodiment, the first and second conductive
features 64 and 70 can be formed by two single damascene processes
each being same or similar to the procedure to form the first
conductive feature 64. Alternatively, the first and second
conductive features 64 and 70 may be formed by a dual damascene
process. In one example of the formation, the etch stop layer 62 is
then deposited on the substrate, the first dielectric material
layer 60 is deposited on the etch stop layer 62, the etch stop
layer 68 is then deposited on the first dielectric material layer
60 and the second dielectric material layer 66 is deposited on the
etch stop layer 68. The second trench is formed by a first
patterning procedure including lithography process and etching, and
thereafter the first trench is formed by a second patterning
procedure. Or, the first trench is formed by a first patterning
procedure, and thereafter the second trench is formed by a second
patterning procedure. The first and second trenches are referred to
as a collective trench here. Then CNTs are continuously grown in
the collective trench (including the first and second trenches). A
copper layer is filled in the gaps among the CNTs in the collective
trench. Then a CMP process is applied to remove excessive metal and
the CNTs above the top surface of the second dielectric material
layer 66. In etching each trench, the corresponding underlying etch
stop layer serves to stop the etch, then another etch, such as wet
etching, may be used to open the respective etch stop layer.
Below provided are other embodiments of a semiconductor structure
and the corresponding method according to the present disclosure.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate sectional views of a semiconductor
structure 200 at various fabrication stages constructed according
to various aspects of the present disclosure in one or more
embodiments. The semiconductor structure 200 and the method of
making the same are collectively described with reference to FIGS.
4 and 5.
Referring to FIG. 4, the semiconductor structure 200 includes a
substrate 210 similar to the substrate 52. The semiconductor
structure 200 further includes an etch stop layer 212 disposed on
the substrate 210 and a dielectric material layer 214 disposed on
the etch stop layer 212. The etch stop layer 212 and the dielectric
material layer 214 are similar to the etch stop layer 68 and the
second dielectric material layer 66 in terms of composition and
formation. For example, the dielectric material layer 214 includes
a low-k dielectric material.
Then the dielectric material layer 214 is patterned to form a
trench 216 by a procedure including a lithography process and
etching. The lithography process forms a patterned photoresist
layer and the etching is thereafter implemented using the patterned
photoresist layer as an etch mask. The patterned photoresist layer
is removed by wet stripping or plasma ashing. An exemplary
lithography process may include processing steps of photoresist
coating, soft baking, mask aligning, exposing pattern,
post-exposure baking, developing photoresist, and hard baking.
Lithography process may also be implemented or replaced by other
proper methods such as maskless photolithography, electron-beam
writing, ion-beam writing, and molecular imprint. In one example, a
second etching step is implemented to remove the etch stop layer
212 within the trench 216 after the etching applied to the
dielectric material layer 214. Thus, the trench 216 is defined in
both the etch stop layer 212 and the dielectric material layer
214.
In another alternative embodiment, a hard mask is used to form the
trench 216. For example, a hard mask layer is deposited on the
dielectric material layer 214 and is patterned to have an opening
defining a region for the trench 216. Then the hard mask layer is
used as an etch mask during the etching process to pattern the
dielectric material layer 214.
Referring to FIG. 5, a barrier layer 218 is disposed on bottom
surface and sidewalls of the trench 216 to effectively prevent
metal diffusion into the dielectric material layer 214. In the
present embodiment, the barrier layer 218 is similar to the barrier
layer 72 in term of composition and formation. In one example, the
barrier layer 218 includes TaN, Ta or a combination thereof. In
other examples, the barrier layer 218 may include other suitable
material, such as TiN. The barrier layer 218 can be formed by PVD,
CVD, or other suitable technique. Alternatively, the barrier layer
218 on the bottom surface of the trench 216 is selectively removed
by a dry etch or a patterning process including lithography and
etching.
Then a composite metal feature 220 is formed in the trench 216 and
separated from the dielectric material layer 214 by the barrier
layer 218. The composite metal feature 220 includes metal material
and graphene integrated in a multilayer structure. The composite
metal feature 220 is similar to the integrated structure of
multiple metal layers and multiple graphene layers in the second
conductive feature 70 of FIG. 3 in terms of composition, formation
and configuration. The composite metal feature 220 includes a
plurality of metal layers 80 and a plurality of graphene layers 82
configured such that each graphene layer is interposed between the
two neighbor metal layers, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Particularly,
in the present embodiment, the outmost layer of the composite metal
feature 220 is one of the metal layers 80.
In one embodiment, the metal layers 80 include copper (Cu) or
tungsten (W). In another embodiment, each of the graphene layers 82
includes one atomic thick graphene sheet. In one embodiment, the
graphene layers are formed by CVD. In another embodiment, the metal
layers 80 are formed by CVD as well. Other suitable technique, such
as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and/or plating may be
alternatively used to form the metal layers 80. Other suitable
technique, such as arc discharge, may be used to form the graphene
layers 82.
In the present embodiment, both the metal layers 80 and the
graphene layers 82 are formed by CVD using a same CVD tool to
reduce manufacturing cycle time. For example, Applied Materials CVD
tool Centura is used to respectively form the graphene layers 82
and the metal layers 80. Thereafter, a CMP process may be
additionally applied to remove metal layers and the graphene layers
disposed on the dielectric material layer 214.
FIGS. 6 through 9 illustrate sectional views of a semiconductor
structure 250 at various fabrication stages constructed according
to various aspects of the present disclosure in other embodiments.
The semiconductor structure 250 is similar to the semiconductor
structure 50 of FIG. 1. The semiconductor structure 250 and the
method making the same are collectively described below.
Referring to FIG. 6, the semiconductor structure 250 includes a
substrate 52 similar to the substrate 52 of FIG. 1. The
semiconductor structure 250 further includes a conductive feature
54 similar to the conductive feature 54 of FIG. 1. The
semiconductor structure 250 includes an interconnect layer 56
disposed on the substrate 52. The interconnect layer 56 includes an
etch stop layer 62 disposed on the substrate 52 and a first
dielectric material layer 60 disposed on the etch stop layer 62.
The etch stop layer 62 and the first dielectric material layer 60
are similar to the etch stop layer 62 and the first dielectric
material layer 60 of FIG. 1, respectively, in terms of composition,
configuration and formation.
Then the first dielectric material layer 60 is patterned to form a
trench 252 by a procedure including a lithography process and
etching. In one example, two etching steps are implemented to
respectively remove the first dielectric material layer 60 and the
etch stop layer 62 within the trench 252. In an alternative
embodiment, a hard mask is used to form the trench 252. The trench
252 is aligned with the conductive feature 54 and exposes at least
a portion of the conductive feature 54.
A barrier layer 254 is disposed on sidewalls of the trench 252 to
effectively prevent metal diffusion into the first dielectric
material layer 60. In the present embodiment, the barrier layer 254
is similar to the barrier layer 72 in term of composition and
formation. In one example, the barrier layer 254 includes TiN, or
alternatively includes other suitable material, such as TaN. The
barrier layer 254 may be formed by PVD, CVD, or other suitable
technique. In one embodiment, the barrier layer 254 disposed on the
bottom surface of the trench 252 is selectively removed by a dry
etch or a patterning process including lithography and etching.
Referring to FIG. 7, a first composite metal feature 256 is formed
in the trench 252 and separated from the first dielectric material
layer 60 by the barrier layer 254. The first composite metal
feature 256 and the barrier layer 254 are similar to the first
conductive feature 64 in FIG. 2 in terms of composition, formation
and configuration. The first composite metal feature 256 includes a
metal layer 76 embedded with one or more CNTs 74. The first
composite metal feature 256 is formed by first growing the CNTs in
the first trench 252 and filling in the gaps among the CNTs. A CMP
process may be further implemented to remove the excessive metal
material and CNTs.
Referring to FIG. 8, the semiconductor structure 250 further
includes a second interconnect layer 58 disposed on the first
interconnect layer 56. The second interconnect layer 58 includes an
etch stop layer 68 disposed on the first interconnect layer 56 and
a second dielectric material layer 66 disposed on the etch stop
layer 68.
Then the dielectric material layer 66 is patterned to form a second
trench 258 by a procedure including a lithography process and
etching. In one example, the etch stops at the etch stop layer 68
and then a second etching step is implemented to remove the etch
stop layer 68 within the trench 258. A hard mask may be
alternatively used to form the trench 258.
Referring to FIG. 9, a barrier layer 260 is disposed on sidewalls
of the trench 258. In the present embodiment, the barrier layer 260
is similar to the barrier layer 72 of FIG. 1 in terms of
composition and formation. In one example, the barrier layer 260
includes TaN, Ta or a combination thereof. The barrier layer 260
may be formed by PVD, CVD, or other suitable technique.
Alternatively, the barrier layer 260 disposed on the bottom surface
of the trench 258 is selectively removed by a dry etch or a
patterning process including lithography and etching.
A second composite metal feature 262 includes a plurality of metal
layers and a plurality of graphene layers configured such that each
graphene layer is interposed between the two neighbor metal layers,
as illustrated in FIG. 3. Particularly, in the present embodiment,
the outmost layer of the composite metal feature 262 is one of the
metal layers 80. The second composite metal feature 262 and barrier
layer 260 are similar to the second conductive feature 70 of FIG. 3
in terms of composition, formation and configuration.
Various advantages may present in one or more embodiments of the
semiconductor structure and the corresponding method. In one
example, as CNTs and graphene are good conductive materials, the
overall conductivity and further the reliability of the
semiconductor structure are enhanced.
Thus, the present disclosure provides an integrated circuit (IC)
structure. The IC structure includes a substrate having an IC
device formed therein; a first dielectric material layer disposed
on the substrate and having a first trench formed therein; and a
first composite interconnect feature disposed in the first trench
and electrically coupled with the IC device. The first composite
interconnect feature includes a first barrier layer disposed on
sidewalls of the first trench; a first metal layer disposed on the
first barrier layer; and a first graphene layer disposed on the
metal layer.
In one embodiment, the first composite interconnect feature further
includes a second metal layer disposed on the first graphene layer;
and a second graphene layer disposed on the second metal layer. The
first metal layer has a first thickness and the second metal layer
has a second thickness. The second thickness may be less than the
first thickness. In one embodiment, the substrate includes a
semiconductor substrate; the first dielectric material layer
includes at least one of silicon oxide and a low-k dielectric
material; and the first metal layer includes one of copper and
tungsten. In another embodiment, the IC structure further includes
an etch stop layer interposed between the substrate and the
dielectric layer. The IC structure may further include a second
dielectric material layer interposed between the first dielectric
material layer and the substrate, having a second trench formed in
the second dielectric material layer; and a second composite
interconnect feature formed in the second trench and contacted with
the first composite interconnect feature. The second composite
interconnect feature includes a second barrier layer disposed on
sidewalls of the second trench; at least one carbon nanotube
disposed in the second trench; and a metal material filled in the
second trench and surrounded by the second barrier layer such that
the at least one carbon nanotube is embedded in the metal material.
In another embodiment, the first interconnect feature is a metal
line; the second composite interconnect feature is one of via and
contact; and the first composite interconnect feature is coupled to
the IC device through the second interconnect feature. The second
composite interconnect feature may contact a salicide feature of
the IC device. The first barrier layer may include graphene. In
another embodiment, the first barrier layer includes a titanium
nitride (TiN) layer on the sidewalls of the first trench and a
ruthenium (Ru) layer on the TiN layer; and the first graphene layer
is interposed between the Ru layer and the first metal layer.
The present disclosure also provides another embodiment of an IC
structure. The IC structure includes a semiconductor substrate
having an IC device formed therein; a first dielectric material
layer disposed on the substrate and having a trench formed therein;
and a first composite interconnect feature disposed in the trench
and electrically coupled with the IC device. The first composite
interconnect feature includes a first barrier layer disposed on
sidewalls of the trench; at least one carbon nanotube disposed in
the first and substantially oriented along a depth direction of the
trench; and a copper material filled in the first trench and
separated from the first dielectric material layer by the barrier
layer such that the at least one carbon nanotube is embedded in the
copper material.
In one embodiment, the IC structure further includes a second
dielectric material layer disposed on the first dielectric material
layer; and a second composite interconnect feature embedded in the
second dielectric material layer and contacting the first composite
interconnect feature, in which the second composite interconnect
feature includes a plurality of metal layers including a first
metal layer approximate the second dielectric material layer; and a
plurality of graphene layers each being interposed between two
neighbor metal layers. In another embodiment, the second composite
interconnect feature further includes a second barrier layer
interposed between the second dielectric material layer and the
first metal layer. In yet another embodiment, the IC structure
further includes a first etch stop layer interposed between the
first and second dielectric material layers; and a second etch stop
layer interposed between the first and semiconductor substrate.
Each of the plurality of metal layers may include at least one of
copper and tungsten.
The present disclosure also provides one embodiment of a method.
The method includes forming a first dielectric material layer on a
substrate having an integrated circuit (IC) device formed therein;
etching the first dielectric material layer to form a first trench
aligned with a device feature of the IC device; forming a barrier
layer in the first trench; forming a first metal layer within the
first trench and adjacent the barrier layer; and forming a first
graphene layer within the first trench and adjacent the first metal
layer.
In one embodiment, the method further includes forming a first etch
stop layer on the substrate before forming a first dielectric
material layer. In furtherance of the embodiment, etching the first
dielectric material layer includes forming an etch mask layer
having an opening defining a region for the first trench;
performing a first etchings step to etch the first dielectric
material layer within the opening of the etch mask; and performing
a second etchings step to etch the first etch stop first layer
within the opening of the etch mask layer. In another embodiment,
the method further includes forming a second metal layer within the
first trench and adjacent the first graphene layer and remote from
the first metal layer; and forming a second graphene layer within
the first trench and adjacent the second metal layer and remote
from the first graphene layer. In yet another embodiment, the
method further includes performing a chemical mechanical polishing
(CMP) process to remove the barrier layer, the first metal layer
and the first graphene layer on the first dielectric material
layer. In yet another embodiment, the method further includes
forming a second dielectric material layer on the first dielectric
material layer; etching the second dielectric material layer to
form a second trench aligned with the first trench such that the
second trench at least partially lands on the first trench; forming
another barrier layer in the second trench and adjacent sidewalls
of the second trench; forming an carbon nanotube (CNT) in the
second trench and substantially oriented along a direction
perpendicular to the substrate; and thereafter forming copper in
the second trench such that the copper fills in gaps between the
CNT and the another barrier layer. In yet another embodiment, the
forming a first metal layer includes forming a copper layer by
chemical vapor deposition; and the forming a first graphene layer
includes forming the first graphene layer by CVD. The forming a
first metal layer and the forming a first graphene layer may
include forming the first metal layer and the first graphene layer
in a same CVD tool.
The foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments so that
those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed
description that follows. Those skilled in the art should
appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a
basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for
carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages
of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art
should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and
that they may make various changes, substitutions and alterations
herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure.
* * * * *